Taking the Twit out of Twitter

Learning the ins and outs of Twitter can be frustrating. Trust me, I know. It takes a while to figure it all out, but just as everyone says, once you do it’s so worth it. Want to turn your disorienting Twitter experience into a rewarding Twitter experience? Here’s how to do it:

Carefully select the people you follow. This is probably the most important part of managing a successful Twitter account. I like to think of my Twitter account as my very own newspaper. I decide who the writers are. I decide which topics are important. At first, all of the voices can be difficult to follow. This is especially true if the voices you choose aren’t contributing anything; they’re just taking up space and creating unnecessary noise. If you carefully select the people you choose to follow, you’ll always be interested in what’s in your feed.

Don’t be a robot. While some businesses love to post weekly promotions, links to their blog and nothing more, all that blasting gets annoying to their followers. Your followers want to build a relationship with you, so don’t be afraid to get personal. Show them that there’s a person behind the business – a person they can get to know and trust.

Keep an eye on your mentions. If your customers are unhappy, they’ll share it with everyone and anyone who will listen. This is your golden opportunity to apologize and make peace. If your customers are happy with your product or service, they’ll share it with their friends. Thank them for the recognition. Use feedback, good or bad, as an opportunity to learn more about your customers and what they really want.

Respond to those who are talking about you. If you do notice customers talking about you, respond. If they’ve said something positive, thank them. Reward them for their loyalty with a discount if you can. If their feedback is negative, address it too. Most customers forgive a situation if it gets addressed in a diplomatic way. Most importantly, it lets them know that you’re listening.

Watch your competitors. Although you’re in competition, it is possible to find common ground with your competitors. You are, after all, in the same business. Learn from their successes – and their mistakes.

Make connections in other industries. You never know where your next valued customer is hiding. Make friends with people who live in different cities, provinces and even countries. Look for suppliers, journalists, associations, local groups, merchants, marketers and analysts. Twitter can seriously expand your horizons if you use it to its true potential.

Relax. It won’t happen overnight. By nature, most of us are impatient. We want everything to go our way, right away. Unfortunately, Twitter doesn’t work like that. Just like establishing a real-life relationship takes time, so does building an online relationship. Be patient. Soon you’ll be talking up a storm with hundreds of followers and you’ll wonder what you ever worried about.